Duterte links Agusan judge to illegal drugs

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday linked a judege in Agusan del Sur to the illegal drug trade.

In his speech during the 9th National Biennial Summit on Women in Community Policing in Davao City, the President showed a new list of narco-politicians that include judge Hector Salise, who was reportedly hurt in an ambush last week.

“I’ll name him publicly. I heard that he was ambushed somewhere. Nandito ang pangalan niya [his name is here], Judge Hector Salise, Agusan de Sur,” Duterte said, accusing the judge of “case fixing” and “bungling.”

“We really did not know who did it [ambush]but iyan mahirap, if pumasok ka sa droga tapos nabayaran ka [that’s the danger if you are in the illegal drug trade and you got paid],” he added.

Salise, the presiding judge of Bayugan City Regional Trial Court, survived an assassination attempt on
September 23 in Barangay Lemon, Butuan City. He was known to be tough on drug suspects whose cases end up in his sala.

The President said he had the list validated by the military, police, National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Interior and Local Government.

“I will not go into this challenge kung hindi ako sigurado [if I am not sure]. If I named you publicly, it would stain your life forever,” Duterte said.

“If you are a criminal, drug lord, kidnapper, gun-for-hire, whether you’re police or military, I will kill you,” he added.

The President also reaffirmed his support to the police, saying the campaign against criminals should continue.